Buckle



Nov. 3, 1936. J. B. FREYSINGER BUCKLE Filed April 25, 1935 I jnhn flfreysm ge Patented Nov. 3, 1936 UNITED S TATES T OFF PM; E

BUCKLE Application April 25,

5 Claims.

This invention relates to buckles andis particularly designed as a belt buckle.

The object of theinvention is to provide an improved buckle having various features of novelty and .advantage, and'which is particularly characterized by its simplicity in construction and economy in manufacture, the same comprising but a relativelyfew number of parts of simple construction; by itseifectiveness and reliability in operation in that it will firmly grip and positively hold the belt threaded therethrough; by the ease and facility-with which the belt end may be engaged with and disengaged from the buckle, and by its neat and pleasing appearance.

"Other objects will be in part obvious and inpart pointed out more in detailhereinafter.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combination of elements, and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the-construction hereinafter set forth, and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in theappended claims.

In the accompanying drawing, wherein is shown, for illustrative purposes, one embodiment which the present invention may take,

Figure 1 is a front view of'my improved buckle applied to a'belt;

Fig. 2 is an edge view thereof;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view therethrough;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 but with the belt omitted;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the front plate;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the slide, and

Fig. 7 is a perspective. view of the base plate.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, A generally indicates a box-like casing or housing through which the free end of a strap or belt B is adapted to be threaded, and C generally indicates a slide mounted within the casing A and provided with a clamping roller D.

The casing A is of generally box-like or flattened tubular form and has a longitudinally curved front plate I0 and a back plate I I. These plates are preferably formed of sheet metal stamped to the desired configuration and pressed to the required forms. The base plate II has notches I2 in its side edges. The front plate has side flanges I3 provided with lugs I4 which take into the notches I2. These lugs are bent over the back of the base plate so as to secure the parts together. One end of the belt B is secured to the base plate in any suitable manner, the usual clamping lever B being shown in the drawing for this purpose. The base plate has a pressed out 1935, Serial No. 18,132

rise or cam I5 whichprovides a camming surface I6 which is inclined towards the front plate as it progresses towards the threading or entrance end of the buckle. The front wall of the casing is longitudinally curved so that that portion thereof between its central point and the entrance end of the casing is-inclined towards the plane of the base plate, as indicated by the line aa. The front wall is provided with a forwardly offset or pressed out panel portion H to which may be applieda suitable design I8. This panel portion provides an internal groove or recess opposite the rise 85.

The slide C is also made of sheet metal. It has afiat body portion 29 provided with a central opening ill for receiving and accommodating the rise. On the rear end of the slide is a belt clamping portion, jaw, or edge 22 which may be'of any suitable construction but which is here shown as being in the 'form'of a cylinder made by curling the rear end of the slide. The slide has, at its forwardend, a'cross bar 23 on which is journalled a clamping roller D. This roller is preferably formed of a piece of sheet metal which is rolled into the form of a cylinder. of the T0116! may be welded together if desired. The periphery of the roller is knurled or otherwise roughened so as to make it more eifective in its holding operation. The slide is provided at its upper and lower edges with ears 24 which extend through notches 25 in the upper and lower walls I3 of the casing. These ears are bent over at right angles so as to provide finger pieces whereby'the slide, together with the roller carried thereby, may be readily moved into and out of belt holding position.

When it is desired to secure the free end of the belt to the buckle it is merely necessary to thread that end into the entrance end of the casing to the desired extent and then exert an outward pulling force on the belt. When such pulling force is exerted, the friction between the belt on the one hand and the roller D and the "gripping portion 22 of the slide on the other hand will cause the slide to move forwardly from the position shown in Fig. 4 to that shown in Fig. 3. The roller will slide or roll on the back plate and will wedge the belt against the inclined portion of the front plate. At the same time, the rear end of the slide will ride up the rise or cam I5, and the jaw 22 will force the portion of the belt adjacent thereto into the recess or groove provided by the panel Il. There is thus formed a distinct bend in the belt. The portion of the belt between the jaw 22 and the front The meeting edges panel is wedged between those elements, it being observed that the portion of the panel against which this portion is cammed is inclined along the line aa. It will thus be seen that with my improved arrangement the belt is very securely clamped to the buckle, and the greater the pull on the belt the greater is the holding force there on. There are three factors which firmly hold the belt in place, these being the wedging effect produced between the roller and the front wall of the casing, the wedging effect produced between the rear end of the slide and the inner face of the panel, and the camming of the belt into the groove of the panel which actually creates a buckling of the belt. There is practically no wear on the parts, it being observed that the edges of the slots or notches 25 do not have any camining effect.

As many changes could be made in the above construction and many apparently widely different embodiments of this invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

It is also to be understood that the language used in the following claims is intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein described and all statements of the scope of the invention which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a buckle of the character described, a rigid box-like casing having a base wall and a front wall converging towards the entrance end of the casing, said base Wall having a cam fixed within and between the ends of said casing and provided with a surface inclined forwardly towards the front wall of the casing, a slide adapted to straddle said cam and having on its rear end a jaw adapted to force the belt against the front wall of the casing, and a roller on the forward end of said slide adapted to wedge the belt against the front wall of the casing.

2. In a buckle of the character described, a box-like casing having a base plate and a longitudinally curved front wall the forward portion of which converges towards the plane of the base plate and is fixed relative thereto, said base plate having a forwardly pressed out cam provided with a cam surface which is forwardly inclined towards the forward portion of the front wall and located in a predetermined position relative thereto, a slide having an opening for accommodating said cam, the rear end of said slide being adapted to engage and ride on said cam and being provided with a jaw adapted to engage the belt, and a roller journaled on the forward end of said slide adapted to roll on said base plate and arranged to wedge the belt against the forward portion of said front wall.

3. In a buckle of the character described, a box-like casing having a base wall and a front wall, said front wall being longitudinally curved and having an internal groove between its ends, said base wall having a cam located behind said groove and inclined forwardly towards the forward portion of said front wall, a slide within the casing the rear end of which is adapted to engage and ride on said cam, said rear end of said slide having a jaw adapted to engage the belt and force the same into the groove, and a roller journaled on the forward end of said slide engaging said base wall and adapted to wedge the belt against said front wall.

4. In a buckle of the character described, a box-like casing having a base wall and a longitudinally curved front wall, said front wall having an outwardly offset panel providing a groove on its inner side, said base wall having a cam disposed behind said panel and forwardly inclined towards said front wall, a slide having an opening adapted to receive said cam and arranged to have its rear end ride on said cam, the rear end of said slide having a jaw arranged to buckle the belt into the groove provided by said panel and to wedge the belt against said panel, and a roller journaled on the front bar of said slide and arranged to wedge the belt against said front wall, said casing having upper and lower walls provided with notches and said slide having at its upper and lower ends finger pieces loosely extending through said notches.

5. In a buckle of the character described, a box-like casing having a base wall and a 1ongitudinally curved front wall fixed relative thereto, said base wall having a cam immovably secured between the ends of said casing and inclined forwardly towards the forward portion of said front wall, a sheet metal slide within the casing and having an opening accommodating said cam and a front bar, the rear end of said casing engaging said cam and having a jaw adapted to wedge the belt against said front wall, and a hollow roller journaled about said front bar engaging said base wall and adapted to wedge the belt against said front wall.

JOHN B. FREYSINGER. 

